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Time to act

March 3, 2018, 9:54 am

Falling apart at the seams – Town Hall in Osoyoos – it will likely make more cents to replace it rather than fix it.

A report on of the municipality’s 50-plus-year-old office, council chamber, planning department and (old fire hall) highlights several structural, mechanical and architectural health and safety issues.

“The overall age of the building is such that it has exceeded its anticipated life span, and now is a critical time to decide on the future direction for this facility,” says consultant David Nairne and Associates.

“It is our opinion that it is not feasible to initiate a major renovation to the existing Town Hall building due to the anticipated scope of work, magnitude of cost and disruption that would be involved,” the report continues.

There is significant rot in the floor framing of northwest corner of the building and evidence of water ingress into the wall on the west side of the old fire hall.

Major fire-safety and ventilation upgrades are also needed and there is the possibility of mould and asbestos contamination throughout the building.

The report recommends the town start saving money for a new building that would be constructed five years from now at a cost roughly estimated at $3.5M.

The current town hall needs at minimum, $660,000 in work over the next five years.